Denver Broncos survive ugly offensive night to beat Seattle Seahawks 17-14 in overtime
Denver’s offense may have been a puzzle, but the Broncos’ defense and a clutch kick secured a 17‑14 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night in Denver.
The game began with Seattle in sudden‑death, the Seahawks facing a 3‑and‑7 from their own 28-yard line. Quarterback Sam Darnold tried a quick throw into double coverage, but cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian read the play and intercepted the pass, giving Denver the ball at the Seahawks’ 43-yard line. Denver’s head coach Sean Payton then used a short, three‑and‑one run series to run the clock, keeping the ball and centering the playbook around the hash marks.
Denver opened the first half with two touchdown drives. Running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey each capped a short run, and the Broncos took a 14‑3 lead into the break. The second half, however, exposed the offense’s lack of cohesion. Denver’s offense moved only 36 yards on eight possessions, and the Broncos turned the ball over twice. Offensively, quarterback Bo Nix finished with 107 passing yards and was limited to short bursts.
Seattle clawed back in the fourth quarter, narrowing the deficit to 14‑11 with a touchdown by George Holani and a two‑point conversion from Darnold to Rashid Shaheed. With just over a minute left, Seattle’s Jason Myers drilled a 34‑yard field goal to force overtime.
In overtime, Denver’s defense kept the ball in its own territory and forced a quick two‑and‑one. With the clock ticking, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz nailed a 53‑yard field goal as time expired, giving Denver the win. The 53‑yard attempt was the longest of the game and the game‑winning play.
Defensively, Denver’s front line, missing rookie Patrick Surtain II, was relentless. They forced five sacks on Darnold, intercepted a pass by Kris Abrams‑Draine, and had a strip by Nik Bonitto that sealed the game. The defense forced three turnovers, a feat that neutralized Seattle’s 353 total yards and Jaxon Smith‑Njigba’s 12 receptions for 134 yards.
The victory improves Denver’s record to 4‑2, keeping the Broncos a game behind the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Sean Payton will have a brief rest before the Broncos host the Arizona Cardinals, where the team will look to refine its offensive execution.
The game highlighted Denver’s defensive strengths and exposed the struggles of a young offense still learning to move the ball consistently. The win, however, will keep the Broncos in contention as the season progresses.